Message of the Shooting Star HD Re:MIX
by The Blue Time Ranger
Summary: Thousands of years ago, a malevolent force known only as the shadow nearly destroyed the universe, only to be sealed away by a brave sacrifice. Now, in the present day, the Ojamajos must again band together to defeat the Shadow, but why is destiny mandating our young heroes as the only ones who can, despite their young age? It's a mystery they won't be able to solve on their own...
1. And So the Adventure Begins

**("nininsankyaku 2013 ver." by misono plays)**

Our story begins in the distant past.

A time of peace and prosperity, doomed to fade into obscurity because of the forces of chaos.

During this time, a strange force known only in lore as "the Shadow", ravaged the land, drawing everything it touched into the demented darkness from which it was forged.

Legends say that two brave souls were all that stopped the Shadow's madness from spreading to the entire world.

A princess of the kingdom, and her first love.

"Is there anything we can do, my love?!" the princess exclaimed.

"I'm trying my best, princess, but this is about all I can do!" the prince shouted, firing another twilight blast into the crowd of zombie-like monsters. "The Shadow is quickly approaching the castle!"

"The castle?!" the princess near-shrieked. "My father's still in there!"

"He's holding off the Shadow's generals," the prince replied, looking towards the grand castle in the distance. Indeed, the Elemental Ones were still marching towards the castle, though with some difficulty, thanks to the barrier the king had placed.

"The problem is, how long will that barrier last?" the princess wailed amidst the madness spreading through the area.

A loud, gurgling roar interrupted the conversation, and the prince and princess spun on their heels and faced down the opponent they had hoped to never face.

The Shadow itself.

"There it is, my dear," the prince proclaimed.

"Do you think we stand a chance? You know what this monster is capable of!" the princess exclaimed.

"**Monster? Oh, that **_**wounds**_** me,"** the Shadow proclaimed, spreading its arms out and allowing its darkness to spread, corrupting almost everything it touched instantly. **"I am far worse than a mere monster, children of man. I am the antithesis of existence, the very will of this universe's desire to return to chaos! There is no hope for either of you!"**

The Shadow sliced outwards with its wickedly sharp claws, catching the prince before he could react and rather gruesomely tearing him apart. The princess almost fell into shock at seeing her lover slaughtered in front of her very eyes.

"**Nothing left. Nowhere to run."**

"Maybe not," the princess growled through her tears. "But if it is the end for me, it is also the end for you!"

As the legend goes, the princess cast the one spell she had been instructed by her father never to use unless the situation absolutely called for it, and according to legends, sacrificed her soul to lock the Shadow away within the Brink, never to escape again. Or so they thought...

Because, though the Shadow is sealed, the story does not end there. In fact, this story is just beginning...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

(Don't just sit there and waste your precious time. When you want to do something, do it right away. Do it when you can. It's the only way to live a life without regrets.)

**S.P.D. Gold Ranger** is proud to present:  
><em>Ojamajo Doremi Chronicles: Message of the Shooting Star HD Re:MIX<br>_Story Created: August 26th, 2014  
>Rated: T for Teen<p>

Summary: Thousands upon thousands of years ago, a malevolent entity known only as the Shadow destroyed most of an ancient civilization, until the brave sacrifice of a powerful princess sealed the Shadow within the depths of the abyss, seemingly never to emerge again. But that malice is about to come full circle in the present day. Two years after the Ojamajos went their separate ways, the Shadow once again emerges to wreak its havoc, forcing the Ojamajos to band together to defeat this new menace. But why is destiny mandating our young heroes as the only ones who can stop the Shadow, despite their young age? It's a mystery they won't be able to solve on their own...

Author's Note: Well, I looked at the original version of Chronicles recently, and was honestly disgusted with most of it. That's going to change now. I'm going to retool the story from the ground up so that it flows better and so I don't make some of the mistakes or general foul-ups I made last time. Though it may take a while, since I planned the original to be at least thirty episodes (due to me wanting to style it like an RPG), I will not abandon this story. I'll admit, I have been a little lax with my updates lately, that's due to the fact that my computer died on me a few months back and I haven't found a replacement yet, so I haven't had anywhere near as much time as I used to have to do stories.

Disclaimer (since I know I have to say this): I've said it for the better part of ten years and I still have to say it. I do not own anything related to Ojamajo Doremi or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Toei Animation and whoever licenses it for their country. The only things of it I DO own are any characters created by yours truly for the story. And I am not infringing on any copyrights. I'm just doing this for the entertainment of my readers. Besides, if I did own Ojamajo Doremi, which I don't, why would I be writing fiction on a fan site? I also do not own any characters from _Tales of Xillia_, nor do I own any original characters created by fellow author MeganePurinko (though I do have her permission to use her characters in my stories so long as I don't make them look bad). Any characters I don't own, I am just borrowing.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Verse 1: And So the Adventure Begins

"What the heck was _that_ all about?"

Thirteen-year-old Nick Kelly shook his head a few times to clear the cobwebs that had settled in his mind because of his latest strange dream. For the past two weeks, his dreams had played host to a bunch of strange events that all seemed to be linked in one way or another.

Nick had initially written it off as coincidence until the dreams began linking themselves up to each other.

"Man, they just keep getting weirder and weirder," Nick quipped before opening his eyes fully and examining his surroundings. At first, he was confused, knowing that this wasn't his own bedroom.

But when he heard a light snoring sound nearby, he had officially received all the confirmation he needed. Nick cast a glance to his left at the sleeping form of his girlfriend of two years, Momoko Asuka.

_She's so beautiful when she's sleeping,_ Nick thought. Looking over at the alarm clock on Momoko's dresser, which read _8:37 AM_, Nick realized what they were going to do today.

_I should probably wake her up,_ Nick thought, reaching over to gently shake Momoko awake. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead."

Momoko rolled over and looked up at Nick, her eyes opening slowly and her smile never leaving her face. "Morning, Nick."

"Morning yourself, sweetheart," Nick quipped.

Nick and Momoko had been dating since the end of elementary school. After the Ojamajos had all went their separate ways, Nick and Momoko had moved back to New York. One day, Nick had suddenly begun to worry about whether or not the two of them would go their separate ways as well, having developed strong feelings for Momoko over the course of the two years they'd known each other. Eventually, Nick had confronted Momoko about it, only to discover she had similar sentiments, and (to Nick's great joy) also held feelings for Nick. They'd shared their first kiss on the first day of middle school, and had been going steady ever since.

"Still beautiful as always," Nick quipped.

"Oh, stop it," Momoko giggled, running a hand through her sleep-disheveled hair. "My hair's always a mess when I wake up..."

"It doesn't matter what happens to your hair," Nick replied. "You're still beautiful to me."

"Oh, you flatterer, you..." Momoko laughed before propping herself up and leaning over to kiss Nick. He was always so sweet to her.

"Hey, I'm just speaking the truth," Nick stated.

"Now that I'm actually awake, I'm surprised you're up so early on a Sunday," Momoko giggled, knowing of Nick's tendency to sleep in on weekends.

"Well, we are going to that baseball game after all, aren't we?" Nick replied. This seemed to snap Momoko out of her sleepy state almost instantly.

"Of course! Today's the big game!" Momoko exclaimed, rushing over to her dresser to pull out her clothes for the day. "We finally get to see the Yankees _clobber_ those stupid Cardinals!"

"Yeah, if you want my opinion, the Cardinals have been to the World Series more than enough times," Nick replied. "I mean, they really need to give someone else a chance!"

"I'll meet you downstairs, okay, Nick?" Momoko noted as she rushed for the shower.

Nick nodded as he descended to the Asuka family living room. Nick and Momoko usually arranged a sleepover one weekend out of every month, and this one had been a special occasion, since both the Kelly family and the Asuka family were going to the baseball game between the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals. Nick wasn't attached to any particular team in the league, but Momoko was a huge Yankees fan, so he decided to go with whatever team his girlfriend supported.

Once both teenagers were showered and fully dressed, they headed downstairs hand-in-hand. They had done a lot of the normal things that couples do, including holding hands almost everywhere they went.

"So, dearie, are you excited?" Momoko's mother Minori asked.

"You better believe I am!" Momoko exclaimed, full of almost giddy excitement. "Those stupid birds are goin' _down_ today!"

"Why don't you head back to Kelly-san's house?" Momoko's father Kenzou replied. "We've still got time before the game."

"Seems kinda sad that Kirino-chan doesn't want to go," Momoko noted.

"That's my sister for you," Nick replied. "She's always been more of a football fan."

"Who said I wasn't going?" Kirino Kelly, Nick's twelve-year-old sister, exclaimed, bursting through the front door.

"Kirino-chan! You're actually coming along?" Momoko gasped.

"Hey, I may be more of a football girl than a baseball girl, but I'm not going to just abandon you guys on a really big game!" Kirino giggled. "I know you two aren't the only ones who've been itching to see those bird boys get taken down a few pegs!"

As Kirino continued to babble, Nick suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It appeared to be one of the cursed brambles, similar to the ones that had sprouted when the former queen of the witches had spread her curse across the entire world.

But when Nick tried to get a good look, it had disappeared.

_What the hell was __**that**__?_ Nick thought. _Ah, well. Probably just my imagination._

What Nick didn't know was that he was being watched from afar by two strange beings, unseen by the people around them. To the crowd at large, it was as if they simply didn't exist.

"He has seen the brambles," the first, larger figure proclaimed.

"Does it mean what I think it means?" the second, shorter figure proclaimed. "Because I am not sure this world is ready for a disaster of this magnitude."

"It is not up to us," the first figure replied. "Destiny has mandated him to be our savior."

"Why him, though?!" the second figure growled. "He is barely a teenager! He is not ready for the sorrow this mission will bring him!"

"But how he can bounce back from sorrow and pain will determine how ready he is to face the force that shadows all of us," the first figure answered. "That is the one constant our role brings to this world."

"He will most likely be broken if he ever reaches her," the second figure growled. "And if this boy is really the one destined to save us all, if he gets broken by her, this universe is screwed!"

"Not necessarily," the first figure replied, completely unfazed by the implications. "He has friends. Though they are far away, they will be able to carry him when he himself cannot."

"I seriously hope you're right about this boy," the second figure groaned. "I'm really on the fence about leaving the fate of our universe in the hands of a boy who has barely had any time to grow up."

And with that, the two figures vanished without a trace, leaving no evidence that they had ever been there, just as Nick and Momoko stepped outside. The figures had known that despite their stealth spell, Nick would be able to sense their sheer magical strength.

"All right, is everyone ready to go?" Minori asked.

"Let's rock!" Momoko exclaimed. "I'm SO psyched to see those bird boys get their wings clipped!"

Thankfully for the entire group, the Asuka family's new house wasn't that far away from Yankee Stadium, so the group decided to walk to the stadium. It was a rather beautiful day, after all.

"I'll go ahead and get the tickets, okay, dearies?" Minori stated, walking up to the nearby ticket booth.

"Ah, it's a perfect day for baseball!" Kirino giggled.

"I'm surprised you caved in and decided to come with us, sis," Nick quipped. "I know you don't really like baseball."

"Eh, it's more fun to actually go to a game than to watch it on TV, if you want my opinion," Kirino stated. "It's so BORING on TV!"

"I hear that," Momoko replied.

A few seconds later, something very strange happened.

Momoko turned around to follow Kirino through the nearby crowd, but then, a bright flash surrounded Nick.

He looked around, confused. When the flash cleared, Nick noticed that everything around him was frozen and unmoving. Time seemed to have stopped dead in its tracks.

"What the... okay, I've seen enough strange things in my days, but I think _this_ tops 'em all," Nick quipped.

**Do not lose your grip on reality.**

Nick spun on his heel at that, coming face-to-face with someone who looked exactly like him, only darker in color, as if it was a shadow.

"Who the hell are _you_, jerk?!" Nick growled.

**It is not a concept you would understand, little boy,** the shadow Nick responded.

"All right, I'm about two seconds from coming over there and stomping you, so why don't you start making sense?" Nick shot back.

The shadow Nick looked the genuine article up and down, as if assessing something.

**You are supposed to be the boy that destiny has mandated?** the shadow Nick wondered. **I am honestly not impressed.**

Nick clenched his fists tightly, steeling himself for whatever chaos was about to erupt.

The shadow raised his hands, and strange, vine-shaped appendages burst from the ground under Nick and constricted him by his arms and legs, trapping him in his spot.

**I believe that is the right moment to erase this bothersome piece from history,** the shadow proclaimed, drawing a razor-sharp sword from out of nowhere.

Nick attempted to break free of his restraints, but the vines were too hard to shatter. It was then that Nick got a good look at the vines.

They were actually the cursed brambles from two years ago.

"W-what the hell?!" Nick exclaimed. "I thought the brambles all went away when we woke Majotourbillon up!"

**These brambles signal the end of this pathetic world of yours,** the shadow stated. **Once they have been given enough life, they will spread and bring this world you hold so dear to its destruction.**

The shadow walked up to Nick, touching his chest with the blade. Nick looked down to see the shadow tracing something on his chest that appeared to be a stylized χ.

**I have marked you. Now you die.**

The shadow swung his weapon at Nick, intending to behead him, but before the blade could make contact, a bright flash erupted, stopping the attack cold.

When Nick could see again, he noticed a strange ball of blue light floating in front of him.

_You will not interfere in the affairs of this world,_ the light ball proclaimed.

**You wretches choose to mess with my affairs even now?!** the shadow shouted.

_We made a promise on the gods of old that we would be there to stop your efforts,_ the light ball continued.

"Um, would someone like to explain anything to me?!" Nick exclaimed.

_In due time, young one. But for now, you must use our power to defeat the unnatural darkness that threatens this world._

The light ball floated into Nick's hands, and after another bright flash, transformed into a keyblade-like weapon. The handle guard was a deep, pastel-blue color with an indigo handle. The blade was a long, inwardly-curved gold staff, and the teeth of the blade was a blue, gold, and purple starburst. The words _Moon Bridge_ ran through Nick's head as he studied the new weapon.

Nick decided to take a chance and focused on escaping his confinement. Spinning Moon Bridge around so he was holding it in a reverse grip, he touched it to one of the vines and it seemed to recoil in terror, instantly releasing Nick and disappearing.

Smiling, Nick slashed Moon Bridge through each of the vines trapping him until he was free.

"That was easier than I thought," Nick quipped. This done, he turned his attention to the shadow.

"And now for you."

Nick let out a battle cry and charged for the shadow, who couldn't react in time due to the surprise of the interference and was therefore unable to defend himself as Nick performed a mighty overhead slash with Moon Bridge. This attack cut into the shadow's chest, leaving a large gash that, for some reason, shined the same light indigo color that Moon Bridge's energy trails left behind.

**Ugh... I didn't think you'd gain their assistance,** the shadow growled.

"How about you spill your secrets before I come over there and chop you in half?" Nick shot back. "You want another taste of my new power?!"

**This isn't over, boy. Not by a long shot.**

Before Nick could lunge at the shadow, it raised its hand and vanished in a flare of darkness.

"Um, Nick? What just happened?"

Nick spun around and saw Momoko and Kirino, both looking as confused as he had been earlier. _They must have managed to break out of that time freeze,_ Nick thought.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Nick sighed, waving Moon Bridge and undoing the time freeze, setting everything back to normal. "You two _did_ see all of that, right?"

"Not that we really understand much of it," Kirino groaned. "That shadow guy was nuts!"

"I'm more concerned about the cursed brambles that shadow used," Momoko replied, scratching her head. "I was sure that the brambles went away when we broke Majotourbillon's curse. If that's true, then why did they show up?"

"Jeez, just when you think things are getting simple, they just get weirder and weirder..." Kirino stated.

"I might as well just play it by ear," Nick replied, willing Moon Bridge to disappear until he needed it again. "If that shadow guy comes back, I'll be ready this time. For now, how about we go and enjoy the game?"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot!" Momoko giggled. "Let's clip those birds!"

And so, putting the situation behind them for the moment, the three teenagers ran to rejoin their families for the big game, unknowingly being observed by the two figures from earlier.

"He has acquired the weapon," the first figure proclaimed.

"He's lucky that his soul can so easily align with Moon Bridge's power," the second figure. "He will need all the luck he can muster if he wishes to survive."

"Our role in this is complete," the first figure. "We have used what remains of our power to bestow the boy with Moon Bridge."

"But what of the others?" the second figure asked.

"They will come in due time, without our interference," the first figure replied. "But for now, we must take our leave."

That said, the figures vanished, deciding to let events play out.

"_The shadow... the shadow will rise..."_

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Momoko exclaimed as the two families returned to their respective homes. Clearly, Momoko had enjoyed the game. It had started out with the Cardinals taking an early lead, and just when it seemed like it was over for the home team, the Yankees had smashed in a three-run shot to win the game. "What a turnaround, eh?"

"No kidding!" Kirino exclaimed. "The second I saw that ball go flying, I knew it was game over for the birdy boys!"

"So, I assume you all had fun?" Rhea Kelly, Nick's mother, asked the group.

"Totally worth all the time we had to wait for the freakin' game to actually get here!" Nick exclaimed. "You guys all know how impatient I am."

"Yes, yes, onii-chan, you've only said it a _thousand times_," Kirino teased, causing everyone to burst out laughing.

"Is my impatience really _that_ funny?" Nick groaned.

"At times," Momoko giggled.

"Oh, not you, too!" Nick proclaimed.

Later that night, back at the Kelly household, Nick and Momoko were playing Nick's latest video game together (the Kelly family had invited Momoko over for dinner) while comparing some of its events to what had happened at the stadium.

"Do you think it's a sign of something?" Momoko wondered.

"With our luck, it's probably worse," Nick groaned. Nick often believed he was cursed, due to how trouble and unstable situations tended to find him easily, especially during his tenure as a witch.

"Hey, we'll get through it," Momoko giggled, pausing the game so she could hug her boyfriend. "Look at what we've already accomplished in our lives. We ended a millennium-long curse, for cryin' out loud. We can take some dark doppelganger freak show, right?"

Nick smiled back at Momoko. "You always know just what to say, don't you, Momoko?"

"Hey, I wouldn't be doing my job as your girlfriend otherwise, right?" Momoko giggled, leaning over to kiss Nick.

Sadly, the kiss only lasted a couple seconds before Rhea's voice floated up from the living room.

"Nick, you have a visitor!"

A question mark appeared over Nick's head as he wondered who was visiting him. None of the friends he knew were available at the moment, and the rest of the Ojamajos were all back in Japan.

"Let's go see," Momoko stated, taking Nick's hand and leading him downstairs.

"Who's here to see me, mom?" Nick asked, stopping when he saw the girl standing in the doorway. She appeared to be about Momoko's age, with waist-length black hair tied in a ponytail in the back by a cute blue ribbon, and brown eyes that almost seemed to be a perfect match for Nick's.

"Hey, all!" the girl proclaimed in surprisingly good English for someone who was clearly Japanese. "My name's Yuki Shinoya, and, well, I'm new in town. My parents and I moved here for the student exchange program, so I wanted to meet my new neighbors while I still had some time tonight."

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Shinoya," Rhea responded. "Why don't you join us for dinner tonight? We've got lots of food for you to try."

"Yeah, Momoko overdid it again," Nick teased, causing Momoko to blush.

"Well, I'm gonna be a patissier in the future, so I gotta practice my craft whenever I get a chance, right?" Momoko replied.

"Thanks, miss! You guys rock!" Yuki exclaimed.

So, as everyone sat down to eat dinner, Nick was the first person to ask Yuki a question. "So, Shinoya-san, how long have you wanted to come to America?"

"First off, you can go ahead and call me Yuki-chan," Yuki responded. "I'm really good at making friends, so it's no bother to me. Second, I've always been interested in American things, even though I've lived in Japan for most of my life."

Yuki looked outside the nearby window. "America's a pretty cool place, if you want my opinion."

"Dang straight!" Momoko proclaimed.

As Nick and Momoko continued to make small talk with Yuki, the black-haired girl eventually took notice of something about Nick.

_What the...?_

Yuki quickly shook her head. _Maybe I was just imagining things._

"Mom's still trying to adjust to being in America, even if it won't be permanent," Yuki continued, changing the subject to avoid panicking over what she thought she'd seen. "I just want to enjoy the time I have here. That's really all there is to it!"

Dinner progressed smoothly, but Nick did notice Yuki gazing at him every now and then, as if searching for something on his person.

_Wonder what's up?_ Nick thought.

Later, Rhea and Jeff had gone to the store to pick up the necessary groceries for the week, leaving Yuki to join Nick and Momoko in their video game antics.

"Ooh, I am _so jealous_ that you got this game before I did!" Yuki quipped. "All the game stores in my area didn't even HAVE it when I went to get it!"

"Well, I'm actually surprised it came out in America first," Momoko admitted. "Games like this usually come out in Japan first, since they're _made_ in Japan."

"Couldn't wait, I guess," Nick answered. "This franchise is a damn big hit across the world, after all."

Nick and Momoko cheered loudly upon managing to clear one of the more difficult stages of the game.

"Wow, you guys are _amazing _at this game!" Yuki giggled, leaning over and affectionately letting her head rest on Nick's shoulder. "I can't even get close to _that_ level of skill!"

"Well, Nick is actually going to the tournament they're holding later this year," Momoko stated.

"Really?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Yeah, so if I'm gonna be a viable competitor, I practically _need_ to be amazing so I can stand a chance against some of the people who've been playing for years," Nick explained.

"I've been helping him practice whenever we have free time to game," Momoko replied, kissing Nick on the cheek. "I'm apparently pretty good competition."

"Oh, you two are a thing, eh?" Yuki giggled, causing Momoko to blush again.

"Two years," Nick answered. "We kinda had a thing for each other since we were eleven, but it took us until middle school to buckle down and admit it to each other."

"How about you, Yuki-chan?" Momoko asked. "You have anyone special in your life?"

"Eh, not yet," Yuki admitted. "But I'm _definitely_ on the hunt! Just you wait, lady fate, I _will_ find my destined love before you know it!"

Yuki squeezed Nick's shoulder gently (her personal sign of affection), but then, she noticed the strange sight again.

_There it is again,_ Yuki thought. _Are my eyes deceiving me, or is that...?_

Yuki discreetly attempted to get a better look without arousing Nick's suspicion, but when she got a good look, she almost began to panic.

"Hey, Yuki-chan, is everything okay?" Momoko wondered, noticing Yuki's panic. "You seem a little nervous..."

Yuki gazed downward towards Nick's chest, where she saw a strange, glowing symbol that no one else seemed to notice, in the shape of an χ.

"I... I knew it," Yuki gasped, back to speaking Japanese.

"Knew what?" Nick asked, ready to shift into attack mode.

"That's why..." Yuki proclaimed. "They branded you... that's the Recusant's Sigil, isn't it?"

Before Nick could field a possible answer to that strange question, the entire surrounding area was rocked by a gigantic tremor.

"Jeez, what the heck was _that_?!" Momoko exclaimed, trying to find something to hold on to.

"Let's see if the news has anything to say about it," Nick replied, putting the game on pause and switching his TV to the local news.

"Guys! Guys, something just happened to the city!" Kirino shouted, bursting through the room's door just in time to see the report on the news. The image shown on the screen was that of Yankee Stadium, only it had been almost completely destroyed.

"W-what the hell?! What happened to Yankee Stadium?!" Momoko shouted. "It looks like someone just flat-out _crushed _it!"

"Who in their right mind would destroy a national landmark?!" Kirino growled. "It's pure highway robbery!"

Yuki, however, didn't seem all that concerned, trying to run thoughts through her mind until they connected.

_I should have figured..._ Yuki thought. _They followed it right to this city, too..._

"When did it happen?" Momoko asked.

"That must have been what that rumble was about," Kirino answered.

Just then, another tremor shook the entire surrounding area, followed by another and another.

"Man, what is with all these earthquakes?!" Kirino shouted.

Momoko, naturally, darted to the window when she saw something catch her eye. Outside, some unseen force was unleashing gigantic spheres of purple energy that fell from the sky and utterly destroyed anything they touched. The people of this district were fleeing in terror.

"Someone's attacking the city!" Momoko exclaimed.

"Well, of _course_ someone's attacking the city!" Yuki shouted, suddenly all business. "They followed the Recusant's Sigil right to you guys!"

"_What?_" Nick exclaimed.

"The Recusant's Sigil," Yuki repeated. "That X-looking thing on your chest. Anyone who bears a Recusant's Sigil can be tracked anywhere across the universe. I should have figured the Shadow's goons would be up to no good..."

Suddenly, Nick's mind flashed back to when he'd been attacked by his shadowy doppelganger. He'd traced that symbol on Nick's chest before attempting to take him out.

"So, then... that shadow clone was just a warning..." Nick realized.

"Yuki-chan, what do you know about what's happening?" Momoko asked, cutting straight to the point.

"It's... actually the real reason okaa-san and I came to America," Yuki replied.

Before Yuki could elaborate on her story, a loud scream erupted from downstairs.

"Oh, shit, that was my mom!" Nick exclaimed. "Come on, girls, let's go check it out!"

With that, the four teenagers raced downstairs, only to see Rhea and Jeff being held at knifepoint by two strange, hooded figures.

"W-what do you want with us?!" Rhea exclaimed.

"None of your concern, lady," the first hooded figure growled.

"Babel, there is no sign of the crystal here," the second figure proclaimed.

"Well then, Lonne, shall we waste these pathetic humans?" Babel asked.

"Oh, yes," Lonne responded, both of them extending their energy blades.

"You can _forget it_!" Nick shouted, willing Moon Bridge into his hand and leaping off of the banister. Before he hit the ground, he whipped his right leg out with all the speed of lightning, sending Babel stumbling back so Nick could deliver a powerful overhead chop with Moon Bridge that effectively bisected Babel, causing his severed halves to disappear into purple mist with a 'pop'.

"You want some, too?!" Nick shouted to Lonne.

Lonne swung his energy sword, but Nick performed a rising vertical slash with Moon Bridge and easily destroyed the weapon.

Nick slammed his foot into Lonne's stomach, dazing him long enough to allow Nick to prepare his attack.

"_Lights that fall from the sky like tears! Mystic Arte, Starburst Stream!"_ Nick shouted, slashing at the air and creating a star shape in front of him. Nick then slashed downward through the star shape, and this caused hundreds of energy blades to erupt and rocket at Lonne, slashing at his body until nothing remained.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Nick growled.

"Nick? Where did you get that?" Rhea asked, obviously confused over what she'd just witnessed.

"All I know is that it has something to do with whatever's happening to the city," Nick answered. "But I don't think we've got time for me to explain things. We need to hurry and get the hell out of here, or we could be next!"

No more needed to be said. Nick and Momoko gathered everyone that was still in the house so they could all leave as a group.

Outside, it was total chaos. Much of the district had been destroyed, with only one or two buildings remarkably still standing, and people were still fleeing from whatever had caused the attack in the first place.

Nick cast a glance into the sky, and saw a strange figure, apparently the one responsible for throwing the energy spheres that were decimating the area.

"Hey, you!" Nick shouted, catching the figure's attention. It floated down, revealing a strange, orb-like creature with two muscled arms and strange black wings. "You have ten seconds to plead your case before I come over there and cut you down. You've got _no right_ to destroy our city!"

"_Do I, or do I not, have the right? Isn't the decision just another tool of fate?"_ the creature asked.

"What the heck are you babbling about?" Kirino proclaimed.

"_I am Phaeroh, one of my leader's most trusted generals,"_ the monster answered. _"I am an enforcer of fate's will, here to help speed along the destruction of this unworthy world. Will you step aside peacefully or fall to my blades?"_

"I think you already know the answer to that," Nick growled, bringing Moon Bridge into a fighting stance.

"_Hmph. Such foolishness. When will you understand that fate is decided for everyone?"_

Phaeroh charged for Nick, aiming its razor-sharp wings for him. Nick quickly countered with a spinning slash from Moon Bridge to put space between himself and his opponent.

"Sorry, sphere boy, but I think you're going to be severely disappointed, because I don't believe in fate!" Nick shouted, slamming Moon Bridge down to the ground and unleashing a bright wave of light that drove Phaeroh back.

"_You do not understand,"_ Phaeroh proclaimed. _"No one has the power to change fate on their own."_

"Okay, I'm already getting sick of this nonsense!" Yuki shouted, rushing towards Phaeroh.

"Yuki-chan, _get back!_" Momoko shouted.

Yuki ducked under Phaeroh's slashing wings and extended her right hand, causing a strange sword to materialize. It appeared to be a rather normal longsword, but had jitte-like prongs sticking out of the sides of the blade. Yuki wasted no time in thrusting her weapon upwards, piercing straight through Phaeroh's body. Yuki finished by slashing outwards, cutting Phaeroh's body into three sections.

"Finish him, Nick-kun!" Yuki shouted.

"Got it!" Nick shouted, readying Moon Bridge.

"_Lights that fall from the sky like tears! Mystic Arte, Starburst Stream!"_ Nick shouted, slashing at the air and creating a star shape in front of him. Nick then slashed downward through the star shape, and this caused hundreds of energy blades to erupt and rocket at the remains of Phaeroh, completely destroying it.

Nick sighed in relief once Phaeroh was no more, letting Moon Bridge disappear. "Now that _that's _been taken care of... Yuki-chan, would you mind continuing your story?"

"That freak was one of the generals of the Shadow," Yuki stated, balancing Tobiume, her weapon, on her shoulder. "The Shadow is an ancient, malevolent entity from an extremely long time ago. He used to be one of this world's gods until he was corrupted by the desire for power and fell to the darkness. The deities of the time sealed him away within the very core of our planet. No one thought he would be able to escape, but the seal weakened. Though he can't break free now, he's been sending his generals to annihilate our world in his stead. Apparently, he's stuck with the belief that if he can't have this world, no one can. The Shadow is basically a god who's lost his way."

"And how do you know all this?" Momoko asked. "You're only thirteen, right?"

"Okaa-san fought the Shadow's generals before," Yuki answered. "When I turned twelve, she told me everything and began training me to utilize the skills I'd need to beat this thing back."

"So... this Shadow thing isn't actually dead yet?" Kirino wondered.

"No," Yuki responded. "The only thing that can destroy the Shadow once and for good are the five Celestial Weapons, divine weapons wielded by the very gods that sealed the Shadow. We'd need to find all five if we want to have any hope of taking the Shadow down."

Just then, another tremor shook the district.

"All right, I've had enough of these damn earthquakes today!" Nick growled.

Rhea and Jeff decided to find a safe place to hide from whatever was about to happen, but a dark red energy beam thundered down from the sky and struck Rhea through her chest, her body jerking to make it look like she'd been crucified by the attack.

Another red energy beam shot down and did the same thing to Jeff. Before long, red energy beams were shooting down from the sky en masse, impaling almost everyone within range.

Once the barrage was over, Nick, Momoko, Kirino, and Yuki were the only ones not attacked by the lances.

Nick cast a glance to the sky and saw another figure, this one more human-looking.

"Well, that was fun," the figure chuckled. Naturally, Nick was not amused by this.

"You want to run that by me again?!" Nick shouted.

"See, I'm just here to do my job," the figure proclaimed, raising his hands. "And my job, sadly for you, is to annihilate this place."

The figure slammed his hands down, unleashing a gigantic wave of darkness.

Nick barely had time to raise Moon Bridge in defense before his vision went completely blank.

"_May the heroes rise... may the world be bathed in light that drives darkness away..."_

"Ugh... my head... mother of all headaches..."

Nick's vision finally returned to him as he stood up, trying in vain to shake off his headache, no doubt caused by the attack of the strange figure who had killed his parents and just about everyone in the district.

"Is... is everyone okay?" Nick asked as the others managed to pick themselves up.

"Mostly," Yuki replied, picking up Tobiume.

Nick looked over the horizon, and to his horror, he saw the wreckage of many of New York City's famous buildings, completely decimated by the Shadow Generals' assault. All that was left of the once proud city were ruins and rubble.

"They... they destroyed New York City?" Momoko gasped. "Are they really _that_ heartless?!"

"The Shadow and his generals all fell to the dark side," Yuki sighed. "It's justified for them, since they want to bring about a new world by destroying all traces of the old world."

"Mom and dad are gone, aren't they?" Kirino asked, tears falling from her eyes.

"We'll get that bastard," Nick retorted, walking over to hug his little sister tightly. "I swear on our parents' memory, we'll take him down if it's the last thing I ever do."

"Oh, god, what about my parents?!" Momoko exclaimed.

"We're right here!"

Momoko spun on her heel and saw Minori and Kenzou limping towards the group. Minori appeared to have a broken leg, and both were covered in bruises and scratches, but were overall very much alive.

"How did you two survive that?!" Kirino asked as Momoko dashed over to hug Minori and Kenzou.

"We were hiding behind one of the already damaged buildings when we got attacked," Minori answered. "A piece of debris fell on my leg and busted it, but I'm okay otherwise. What exactly happened?"

"The Shadow's generals destroyed the city," Nick solemnly answered. "There's nothing left but ruins."

"And they're going to keep following us, unfortunately," Yuki proclaimed, catching everyone's attention. "As long as Nick-kun's body bares the Recusant's Sigil, the Shadow Generals aren't going to leave us alone..."

"Well, is there any way to get rid of it?" Nick asked.

"Only by destroying the general that marked you with the Recusant's Sigil," Yuki answered. "Do you know what he looked like?"

"I don't think he ever showed his actual form," Nick stated, touching his shirt, where the Recusant's Sigil could be seen glowing. "The guy I got the sigil from was apparently some dark clone of myself. I only managed to survive that because some talking ball of light gave me my weapon so I could fight back."

Nick extended his new magical senses, attempting to find any survivors.

"Any luck, Nick-kun?" Yuki asked, knowing what Nick was doing because she had that exact same ability.

Nick sadly shook his head. "No survivors. We're the only ones left."

"That settles it, then!" Kirino shouted. "Let's go find those Celestial Weapon things so we can rip the Shadow apart!"

"It's not gonna be that easy, Kirino-chan," Yuki replied, spinning Tobiume in her hands. "I have no idea where the Celestial Weapons are, so we're going to have to find them the old-fashioned way."

At that moment, a bright pillar of light appeared in front of the group, and out stepped a woman similar in many aspects to Yuki.

"Everybody, this is my mother, Majoruri," Yuki proclaimed. "She'll be helping us find the Celestial Weapons."

"Pleased to meet you all," Majoruri stated, curtseying slightly. "I promise, I will do everything in my power to undo this catastrophe that has befallen all of you."

Before any conversation could be made, Nick heard a groan coming from nearby. Not wasting a second, Nick rushed towards the source of the noise, lifting and slashing through debris to reveal a little girl of about ten years old, with short, light-yellow hair and bright greenish-yellow eyes. She was wearing a rather pretty gothic lolita-style dress that complimented her age rather well.

_How did I not sense her before?_ Nick thought. "Are you okay?"

"Whoa, how did you survive all of that?" Kirino exclaimed. "I thought everyone but us bit it..."

The girl didn't seem to hear Kirino, being oddly focused on Minori's broken leg. "Oh, no, you're hurt!" the girl exclaimed, rushing over to Minori and placing her hands over the broken leg in question. The girl's hands shined with a bright golden light, and within seconds, Minori's leg was fully healed.

"Wow, my leg's as good as new!" Minori gasped. "How did you do that?"

"That's what I was going to ask," Momoko wondered. "I'm pretty sure that's forbidden magic..."

"I don't know why I have these powers..." the girls answered. "I... I lost my parents when the bad people attacked the city..."

"Oh god, you too?" Nick gasped. "These Shadow punks are going _way _too far..."

"What's your name, little girl?" Yuki asked, affectionately ruffling the little girl's hair.

"Elise. Elise Lutus," the girl answered.

"We'd love to have you come with us, Elise-chan," Yuki giggled. "The more, the merrier, right?"

"Really? I can come with?" Elise gasped.

"Of course," Nick continued. "We've all got a common enemy here, right? We've gotta do everything in our power to stop the Shadow before he causes any more damage to our world."

"One question, though? How are we supposed to get to other places now?" Momoko wondered. "Most of us don't have our magic powers anymore, so..."

"I can take you all anywhere you need to go," Majoruri answered. "I know teleportation magic, after all."

"Very useful in a crisis!" Yuki giggled.

"Well, let's go to the Majokai first," Nick stated. "We need to get Momoko's parents there so they'll be safe. I know this battle's going to be messy in so many ways, and I'd rather they not get caught up in our crossfire..."

Majoruri nodded, raising her now-glowing hand. "Then off to the Majokai we go."

A bright sheet of light surrounded the group before warping them away, leaving behind the shattered remains of one of the world's greatest cities...

...and so, the only hope of returning the world to its normal state lies with a brave group of teenagers.

"You Majesty?"

The queen of the Majokai looked up from the book she was reading, noticing Majorin, her personal attendant, standing close to her.

"Yes, my dear?" the queen asked.

"You have visitors," Majorin answered, piquing the queen's curiosity.

"Hmmm... it has been a while since I have had visitors," the queen noted. "Allow them in."

Majorin opened the doors to the throne room to reveal Nick and his group.

"Hello, your majesty," Momoko proclaimed, bowing slightly out of respect.

"Well, this is a surprise," the queen stated, smiling brightly. "Please, come in."

"Are you sure they should be here right now?" Majorin asked. "We explicitly told them that they could not return to this world until the crowning of the next High Queen..."

Not wanting to delay things any longer, Nick sighed heavily.

"New York City's been destroyed," Nick announced.

Majorin and the queen both gasped in shock.

"Who... who would be responsible for such a deed?" Majorin wondered.

"The Shadow Generals," Yuki responded. "They're free."

"This... this could not possibly mean..." Majorin gasped.

"I am afraid it's true, my dear," the queen answered. "The Shadow once again seeks to destroy our world."

"That's actually why we're here, your majesty," Yuki continued. "Nick-kun's been branded with the Recusant's Sigil, and we need to find our friends before the generals strike again. My mother brought us here in hopes of attaining your assistance in defeating the Shadow and its toadies before this world falls to darkness."

The queen looked up to the multi-colored sky, contemplating events and running the ancient legends through her mind.

"Majorin, if you will?" the queen asked.

Majorin nodded, raising her hands. As she concentrated, magical energy began to swirl around Nick, Momoko, Kirino, and Yuki, eventually forming into what appeared to be brand new taps, shaped like a star with little energy rings surrounding the taps that resembled planet rings.

"You can use these new Cosmic Taps to access your witch powers," the queen proclaimed. "They should grant you all the power you will need to fight off the Shadow Generals."

"Thank you so much, your majesty," Momoko proclaimed. "But what about the others?"

"We will grant them their powers once you have made contact," the queen answered. "I assume that once you have all reunited, you will search for the Celestial Weapons?"

"Yep," Yuki proclaimed. "And we have to hurry, 'cause who knows _where_ the Shadow Generals are going to strike next?"

"Your majesty, I have one more favor to ask," Momoko asked, stepping closer to her parents. "Could you watch over my parents for me? They barely survived the attack on New York City, and I'm worried that they may not last long if they stay with us."

"I promise you, they will be in good hands with us," the queen proclaimed. "This is the one place the Shadow cannot strike. We have fortified our defenses against the darkness, so they will be safe from any intruders."

"Will you be back anytime soon, dearie?" Minori asked.

"I guess it depends on how soon we can find the Celestial Weapons," Nick answered. "Like Yuki-chan said, we have no freakin' idea where they are."

"Please, be safe out there, sweetheart," Kenzou replied.

"All right, okaa-san, anytime you're ready!" Yuki proclaimed. Majoruri raised her hands, and a second later, the group, minus Minori and Kenzou, vanished in a flash of purple light.

The queen seemed confused as she watched Majoruri teleport the group.

"That is strange... I thought she was..."

_To be continued..._

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On the next episode...

Nick: And so, next time, our adventure begins!

Momoko: Once we finish up in the Majokai, priority one is getting back to Misora. God only knows what those Shadow Generals have up their sleeves if our friends factor into this quest of ours!

Yuki: Wait, Elise-chan, you really don't know who you are?

Elise: All I remember... is my name. Is that weird?

Kirino: Hopefully we'll find some clues as we go along. Who knows, your healing abilities may come in serious handy during our adventure!

Elise: I hope I can be of some use to you...

Nick: Next time on _Ojamajo Doremi Chronicles: Message of the Shooting Star_, "Pursuing My True Self"!

Elise: Welcome to this wild maze of life!


	2. Pursuing Myself

"Poppu? You okay?"

Poppu Harukaze shot out of bed, her mind still tuned to what she had experienced in her dream. After shaking her head a few times to clear the mental cobwebs, she turned around to see the concerned face of her older sister Doremi Harukaze.

"You were shaking pretty badly there," Doremi noted.

"Just a nightmare," Poppu admitted. "Pretty freaky one, too, if I have to admit."

"Anything you want to talk about?" Doremi asked.

"All I remember was a bunch of jumbled images and some weird voice calling me out for wanting to challenge my fate," Poppu explained. In truth, she'd been having similar dreams over the past week or so, but she hadn't said anything about it to Doremi, mainly because Poppu had no idea what the dreams had meant, if anything. "Strange, huh?"

"No stranger than anything we've been through," Doremi admitted. "Just remember, if you ever wanna talk, I'll be there to listen, 'kay?"

Poppu nodded, leaning over to hug Doremi. The two of them had become much closer over the two years since their last adventure, with Doremi and Poppu often practicing piano together.

"Might as well go see what's happening today," Poppu stated.

"Yeah, I'm still excited for today's episode of Kamen Rider," Doremi giggled. "I'm still amazed how that plot thread didn't get sunk!"

So, still in their pajamas (it was only seven in the morning, after all), the Harukaze sisters walked down to the living room, only to notice their parents staring in shock at the television.

"Mom? What's going on?" Doremi asked, confused as to why Keisuke and Haruka were so shocked.

But then, Doremi got a good look at what was being shown on the screen.

The ruins of New York City.

"N-N-New York City's been _destroyed_?!" Doremi exclaimed.

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(Don't just sit there and waste your precious time. When you want to do something, do it right away. Do it when you can. It's the only way to live a life without regrets.)

**The Blue Time Ranger** is proud to present:  
><em>Ojamajo Doremi Chronicles: Message of the Shooting Star HD Re:MIX<br>_Story Created: August 26th, 2014  
>This Episode: November 22nd, 2014<br>Rated: T for Teen

Summary: Thousands upon thousands of years ago, a malevolent entity known only as the Shadow destroyed most of an ancient civilization, until the brave sacrifice of a powerful princess sealed the Shadow within the depths of the abyss, seemingly never to emerge again. But that malice is about to come full circle in the present day. Two years after the Ojamajos went their separate ways, the Shadow once again emerges to wreak its havoc, forcing the Ojamajos to band together to defeat this new menace. But why is destiny mandating our young heroes as the only ones who can stop the Shadow, despite their young age? It's a mystery they won't be able to solve on their own...

On Today's Episode: Nick's group arrives in Misora, hoping to reconnect with the friends they've missed for so long as well as finding clues about Elise, who claims to have amnesia. Unfortunately, the reunion may hit a sour note when it's revealed that a Shadow General is lurking somewhere in the city, intent on flushing out "those chosen by destiny". With no clue if the general is referring to their friends, Nick and the girls must hightail their investigation before Misora suffers the same fate as New York City...

Disclaimer (since I know I have to say this): I've said it for the better part of twelve years and I still have to say it. I do not own anything related to Ojamajo Doremi or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Toei Animation and whoever licenses it for their country. The only things of it I DO own are any characters created by yours truly for the story. And I am not infringing on any copyrights. I'm just doing this for the entertainment of my readers. Besides, if I did own Ojamajo Doremi, which I don't, why would I be writing fiction on a fan site? I also do not own any characters from _Tales of Xillia_, nor do I own any original characters created by fellow author MeganePurinko (though I do have her permission to use her characters in my stories so long as I don't make them look bad). Any characters I don't own, I am just borrowing.

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Verse 2: Pursuing Myself

In a dark void beyond the edge of time, a mysterious figure can be seen observing events.

"Hmmm... these strange humans intrigue me," the figure stated. "They seem so eager to jump at the call to adventure, and yet they seem ignorant of fate's use for them. Humans never made any sense to me in the first place."

"My lord, I have returned," another figure proclaimed, swooping in from the air to land near the first figure's silhouette. It was the same one who was responsible for destroying New York City.

"What business have you to report, Taurus?" the first figure demanded.

"The city has been destroyed, lord Shadow," Taurus explained. "The only survivors are the ones you have been observing. If I may ask, why them? Why are such lowly humans so interesting to you?"

"Because destiny has mandated them," the Shadow answered. "I wish to know why they, of all the people in this miserable world, have been the ones chosen."

"I can slay them right now, if you wish. Remove them from the equation," Taurus offered. "If they are indeed the chosen ones, they will no doubt be a great thorn in your side."

"There is no need," the Shadow proclaimed. "They are not ready yet. Fate is not something that can be manipulated, after all. They will fall eventually, destiny's chosen or not."

"What would you have me do in the meantime, lord Shadow?" Taurus asked, eager to cause some more mayhem.

"Send Pisces to the city the survivors have fled to," the Shadow answered. "She will be more than enough to handle them."

"By your command," Taurus proclaimed before vanishing.

The Shadow turned its figure towards something in the distance.

"Soon, my dear..." the Shadow stated, reflecting over the image of the figure, which seemed to resemble a certain queen...

_Meanwhile, in Misora..._

"Ugh, my stomach..." Yuki groaned as she and the rest of the group emerged from the portal Majoruri had used to link the Majokai to Misora, their current means of rapid transit around the world as they began their search for the Celestial Weapons. "I forgot how much I hate those portal things sometimes..."

"You didn't complain when we went to the Majokai," Majoruri noted. She had made sure to open the portal in a place where they couldn't be seen coming out. Even though the Curse of the Witch Frogs was no more, suddenly popping out in the middle of a possibly-crowded street would _definitely_ raise a lot of unwanted questions.

"It's like those portals decide by themselves when they'll give me jet lag..." Yuki sighed.

"Well, it's probably not that long a jump from New York to the Majokai," Momoko admitted. "We basically jumped halfway across the world to get back here."

"I thought it was fun," Elise giggled. She had been rescued from a collapsed building in the aftermath of New York City's destruction and decided to tag along with the group, having lost her parents in the attack.

"Um, shouldn't we be looking for the others?" Kirino stated, clenching her fists tightly. "Those Shadow Generals could be lurking anywhere..."

"It's been two years," Nick replied as the group stepped onto the streets. "I have no idea what's happened in those two years..."

"Where should we go first?" Elise wondered.

"First things first, we should find our friends and get the word out about the Shadow Generals," Momoko answered. "Kirino-chan was right, if we don't get to work, Misora's gonna get flattened in short order."

Nick nodded, brandishing Moon Bridge to take charge of the group, as it turned out, they'd landed in an area of Misora they weren't exactly familiar with.

After a few minutes of searching, the group found themselves in the town square.

"Okay, guys, strategy time!" Yuki exclaimed. "What's our next move?"

As if something had been waiting for Yuki to say that, the ground in front of the group tore itself apart, allowing humanoid creatures to dig their way out. They looked emaciated and their bones were showing, much like a zombie would.

"ACK!" Yuki shouted, quickly summoning Tobiume to her hand. "Who let the zombie patrol out?!"

"Most likely the Shadow," Nick replied. "He's trying to impede our progress."

Nick spun Moon Bridge around before bringing it into a fighting stance.

"Well, if you're gonna stand in our way, Shadow, then understand that I'll cut down as many of your generic foot soldiers as it takes!" Nick shouted, brandishing Moon Bridge and charging forward.

The zombies lined up to take a swipe at Nick, but he easily dodged away from the strike and slashed horizontally, taking a good few down by basically cutting them in half. Once a minion had been bisected, they popped out of existence with a flash of black light.

"Hey, Nick-kun, don't leave me out of the fun!" Yuki proclaimed, summoning Tobiume and leaping into the air before somersaulting with her blade extended and darting forward, cutting through at least seven foot soldiers as she did so.

"That was cool!" Elise giggled.

"You're not scared of those things, Elise-chan?" Momoko wondered.

"I've seen scarier things, believe me," Elise replied. "My dad liked horror movies..."

Momoko immediately picked up on Elise's tone shift upon mentioning her father, walking over and hugging the little girl. "Hey, don't worry, Elise. We'll stop these jerks before you know it."

Elise smiled brightly at this.

"Hey, guys, we're done mopping up!" Yuki exclaimed. Momoko and Elise turned back to the area where the zombies were coming from and saw they had all been vanquished.

"Man, that was freaky," Nick quipped.

"No kidding," Momoko replied, suddenly taking notice of a familiar house nearby. Lights were flickering from the window, indicating activity in that house.

Deciding to try now before a disaster occurred again, Momoko walked up to the front door of the house and knocked three times on it.

After some muffled voices from inside, the door slowly opened, and much to Momoko's delight (and relief), Doremi was standing there, though she looked extremely sad, like she'd been crying for a long time.

"Doremi-chan, what happened?" Momoko asked. Surprisingly, this simple statement seemed to snap Doremi out of her sad state.

"Momo-chan?! Oh, my god, you're alive!" Doremi shouted, dashing over to hug Momoko tightly. Momoko would normally have said something along the lines of "of course I'm alive, silly", but she knew why Doremi thought that. The Harukaze family must have just seen a news report about the attack on New York City, and were probably devastated at having seemingly lost some of their best friends.

"You saw the news, huh?" Momoko replied, returning Doremi's hug.

"Momo-chan, pardon my language, but _how the hell did you survive that?!_" Doremi proclaimed. "All the reports are saying there were no survivors!"

Nick realized that the proverbial jig was probably up, and decided to step forward. "That's... actually one of the reasons we're here."

"Oh, god, Kelly-kun, you're here, too?!" Doremi gasped, hugging Nick as well.

"We've got some explaining to do, don't we?" Kirino wondered.

Nick nodded. "Well, let's get inside and we'll tell you guys everything."

And they did just that; Nick, Momoko and Doremi decided to explain everything about their previous adventures as witch apprentices, knowing they wouldn't be turned into witch frogs what with the curse broken. Doremi actually seemed to enjoy talking about her adventures, but then the tension in the house escalated when Nick and Momoko explained what had caused the destruction of New York City and the fact that the Shadow Generals were able to track Nick anywhere in the world because of the Recusant's Sigil.

"So, we've got a world-destroying wacko and his toadies on our hands," Doremi summarized once Nick had finished his side of the story. "Wonderful."

"And to top everything off, we picked someone else up along the way," Nick replied, gesturing to Elise. "Apparently, Elise here lost her memories sometime during the attack. All she remembers is her name, that her parents died in the attack, and she has healing powers that, for some odd reason, don't violate the forbidden magic rule. She healed Minori-san's broken leg before we left, and Elise's leg is just fine."

"I wish I knew why..." Elise sighed. "I wonder if it has something to do with why I lost my memory..."

"As long as Elise-chan is traveling with us, we may as well search for clues that might lead us to a way to restore her memories," Yuki proclaimed.

"So, what should we do, then?" Doremi wondered.

"Well, first off, I'm gonna have okaa-san take your parents to the Majokai, Doremi-chan," Yuki replied. "It's not going to be safe for them here. Since the Shadow Generals can track us anywhere, it's only a matter of time before they come knocking on our door, and I really don't want Misora to get destroyed like New York City."

"Won't we have to do the same for the others?" Doremi asked. "If what you said is true, Misora's going to be a war zone if we don't stop these generals."

"We'll worry about that once we find them," Momoko answered. "Priority one is finding the rest of our friends so we can fight these guys. We'll need all the strength we can get, considering how strong the Shadow Generals are."

Majoruri waved her hand, opening a portal back to the Majokai. "Shall we go, Harukaze-san?"

Keisuke and Haruka, though still a little apprehensive, knew that their daughters were in good hands, and stood up to walk into the portal.

Still, Haruka had to be sure. "Are you sure you two are going to be all right?"

Nick stood up proudly, brandishing Moon Bridge as he did so. "Mrs. Harukaze, I promise, I will do _everything_ in my power to protect your daughters. I made that promise to _all_ of my friends."

That was enough for Haruka, who followed her husband into the portal.

"Oh, before I forget," Momoko gasped. "Doremi-chan, we've got something for you."

Doremi extended her hand to allow Momoko to produce a Cosmic Tap for the pink witch. "The queen wanted me to give you this. She's letting us have our witch powers back so we can stand a chance against the Shadow Generals," Momoko explained.

"Did the others get these powers, too?" Doremi asked.

"The queen said she'll give us the taps to give to the others when we find them," Momoko answered. "Hopefully we can all regroup before something terrible happens."

Doremi smiled, glad to be alongside her friends again. As she held her Cosmic Tap, she suddenly felt a pulse of energy surrounding her left hand. Doremi looked over just in time to see the energy surrounding her hand transform into a weapon similar in concept to Nick's Moon Bridge. The shaft and handle of the weapon were directly connected and both were black with pink edges. The pommel was a diamond covered in a red and orange checkerboard pattern. The top of the guard was made of two clubs colored in a red and yellow checkerboard pattern, while the rest of the guard was a purple and red horseshoe shape. The tip of the blade is a large, orange heart with a thin, red and yellow border. The teeth of the weapon are comprised by a large, red spade. As Doremi studied her new weapon, the words _Lady Luck _ran through the pink witch's head.

"Whoa, that's cool," Doremi giggled, looking at her new weapon and comparing it to Moon Bridge. "Wish mine was a little more stylistic, though... and the name, too. How ironic, huh?"

Nick and Momoko knew what Doremi meant, the pink witch having always called herself "the world's unluckiest pretty girl".

Yuki suddenly jerked out of her seat, having sensed an overwhelmingly evil force emerge. "Oh, crap, they're here!"

Those words caused Nick to spring into action quickly, readying Moon Bridge for a fight. "Do you know where they are, Yuki-chan?!"

Yuki focused, extending her senses. "I can sense one of them hovering around some kind of all-girls school..."

Doremi gasped in shock, instantly catching that Yuki was referring to Karen Girl's Academy, where Hazuki was going to school. "We'd better get going, guys!"

Nothing more needed to be said as the group charged out to find Karen Girls Academy before the Shadow Generals could wreak any further havoc.

Though, if the group had not been fully focused on their objective, they would have noticed a strange figure watching them, clearly feminine but clad in bulky black armor.

"There he is. Now I can do what I came here to do."

Much to the group's relief, Karen Girls Academy was still standing when they arrived, though Yuki still noticed the odd figure flying high above the school.

"Hey, I see you up there!" Yuki shouted. "Stop being a chicken and come down here!"

The figure disappeared, only to reappear in a flash right in front of the group. The figure turned out to be a girl seemingly in her mid-teens, with long blue hair and piercing yellow eyes. Though she appeared to be only in her mid-teens, the entire group, Nick and Yuki especially, could feel the droves of darkness coming from the girl's aura.

"Let me guess, you're one of the Shadow Generals?" Nick growled.

"Oh, you're no fun," the girl taunted, waving a strange-looking trident staff around. "I really don't like it when people spoil the surprises. But yes, I'm one of the Shadow Generals. Pisces is the name, and don't go thinking that just because I'm a girl, I'm gonna be easy pickings!"

"I honestly don't give a crap that you're a girl," Nick shot back. "I'm not afraid to hit a girl if I have to, _especially_ when that girl's trying to destroy our world!"

"Oh, please," Pisces proclaimed. "What good is it going to do when your fate has already been sealed?"

"Um, _excuse me_?!" Nick growled, angrily swinging Moon Bridge.

"You know there's nothing you can do to stop our conquest of this universe," Pisces giggled. "It doesn't matter what you do."

"Oh, then you _and_ your master are going to be _sorely_ disappointed," Nick shot back. "You want me to repeat _exactly_ what I said to Phaeroh before I cut him into little tiny ribbons?!"

"Wait, _you're_ the one who destroyed Phaeroh?!" Pisces exclaimed. "You're just a boy!"

Nick inwardly decided he'd had enough of Pisces' rambling, charging up his weapon to attack.

"Well, I don't believe in fate, you little bitch!" Nick growled. "My destiny is my own!"

Not giving Pisces a chance to react, Nick leapt at her, slashing with Moon Bridge and sending her flying through the front doors of Karen Girls Academy with Nick already in hot pursuit.

"Ooh, now you're asking for it!" Pisces shouted, drawing another trident staff with her free hand. "I guess I need to teach you a lesson about fate."

"Well, shut up and _bring it on!_" Nick proclaimed.

Pisces was the first one to attack, swinging her tridents rather haphazardly and forcing Nick to dodge and weave through the onslaught while waiting for his chance to strike.

After a minute of this, Pisces jumped back, only to strike with a forward thrust. Nick made his move, ducking under the trident so he could grab it and yank Pisces right towards him and attack with Moon Bridge in a three-part spinning attack.

"So, you've got some skill after all," Pisces conceded. "But don't think you've won just yet!"

Pisces' tridents began sparking with electricity. Nick didn't even have time to let out the "oh crap" he had been thinking of as Pisces swung her trident and unleashed a salvo of lightning bolts straight for Nick.

To Nick's surprise, Yuki jumped in front of him and swung Tobiume, creating a wave of bluish-black light that dispelled the lightning shots.

"Oh, so now it's two-on-one?" Pisces taunted. "Hardly fair, ya think?"

"Well, when it comes to you and your minions, _especially_ after you went and destroyed New York City, I _hardly_ think you're in any position to complain about an unfair fight!" Yuki shot back.

Yuki rushed at Pisces, ripping forward with a lightning-fast strike that caused Pisces' tridents to fall to the ground in pieces.

"Now I think we're even," Yuki taunted.

"Don't think I'm anywhere _near_ done with you yet!" Pisces growled, surrounding herself with a field of electricity.

As Nick began to search for a suitable attack option, he suddenly looked up and saw the ceiling's sprinkler systems. _Perfect,_ Nick thought.

"Well? Are you going to just stand there and gawk all day?" Pisces proclaimed.

"Maybe it's because you need a bath!" Yuki taunted.

Before Pisces could form a response, Nick dived to the left and unleashed a wave of energy towards the ceiling that struck all of the nearby sprinklers and caused them to spray water all across the hallway.

Pisces' first response was to scoff at Nick's seemingly pointless act. However, once her body had been drenched by the sprinklers, she cursed her own foolishness as she was electrocuted by her own barrier.

Once the barrier fade, Nick and Yuki decided to make their move, the two of them rushing to opposite sides of the stunned Pisces.

Not wasting any time, Nick and Yuki slammed their weapons into the ground, creating a glyph under Pisces that erupted into a geyser of energy that slashed mercilessly at her.

The two of them wasted no time in zipping forward. Once they'd gotten close enough to Pisces, Yuki hopped to Pisces' other side as they readied their assault.

"_Together as one!"_ Nick chanted.

"_As it always should be!"_ Yuki chanted.

With that, Nick and Yuki both started attacking, slashing at Pisces in synchronized movements before stepping back and charging straight at Pisces, delivering powerful horizontal strikes and rushing straight through her at the same time.

That accomplished, Nick and Yuki both leapt into the air, crossing their weapons.

"_Let's show them!"_ Yuki exclaimed.

"_Run them through!"_ Nick responded.

Their weapons began glowing with a bright silver light.

"_Mystic Arte! Bushin Soutenha!"_ Nick and Yuki exclaimed, slashing their weapons across each other. This sent two energy beams from each of their weapons that eventually joined together and spiraled into a massive corkscrew of energy that slashed mercilessly at Pisces.

After a long and drawn-out scream of agony, Pisces fell to the ground, stone-cold and unmoving.

"And _that's_ what I think of your fate," Nick growled.

Just then, one of the classroom doors opened, and who else should pop out but Hazuki Fujiwara herself, obviously wondering if a fire had broken out, since the alarms were blaring after Nick had attacked the sprinklers.

"K-Kelly-kun?" Hazuki gasped. "W-what's going on?"

"It's... a long story, Hazuki-chan," Nick nervously replied.

Before Nick could explain himself, however, he suddenly heard a soft cackle that seemed to be rising in intensity. He looked back and saw the battered Pisces slowly rising to her feet.

"W-what the...?!" Hazuki exclaimed.

"How are you still alive, freak show?!" Yuki shouted. "Nick-kun and I just _slaughtered_ you!"

"I've... still got one... last trick... up my sleeve," Pisces growled, her entire body sparking with blue electricity. "You can say goodbye to this place and every single pathetic human being in it! _Long live the Shadow!_"

The electricity surrounding Pisces began to shoot out in every direction, effortlessly piercing through the foundation of the building. And if the screams of abject terror were any indication, some of the students had been struck by it as well.

"W-what do we do?!" Hazuki exclaimed.

Honestly, Nick was out of options at this point.

Yuki drew in a quick breath, then screamed "EVERYBODY OUT!" as loud as she possibly could. This seemed to do the trick, as many students began to file out of the classrooms as quickly as they could, no doubt having witnessed the lightning coming from Pisces' suicide attack.

After a while, many students were gathered outside, watching the lightning utterly destroy Karen Girls Academy. Some were mourning for the students who hadn't made it out in time.

Nick and his group were far away, hiding in almost the same alleyway they'd arrived in to explain to Hazuki everything that had been going on.

"I... I was so sure that you and Momo-chan were dead," Hazuki stated, wiping a few tears from her eyes as she leaned over to hug Nick. "The whole school heard the reports that New York City had been destroyed by a terrorist attack... I thought it was 9/11 all over again..."

"This wasn't a terrorist attack, Hazuki-chan," Yuki answered. "One of the Shadow Generals destroyed the city just to flush us out."

"And the really sucky part is that they can pretty much find us anywhere, now," Kirino replied. "One of those general people marked onii-chan with the Recusant's Sigil, a sort of tattoo tracking device."

"We've got a lot of work to do if we're going to stop these freaks," Poppu stated.

"No kidding, Poppu-chan," Yuki replied. "We've all decided that our first priority is finding Nick-kun and Momo-chan's friends so they can join our group and stay away from danger. I mean, those freaks destroyed New York City just because _we were there_, so we figured if they catch us anywhere else, that particular place might be in big trouble."

"Well, I'll do whatever I can to help," Hazuki proclaimed. "I'm not one to leave my friends in peril."

Just then, orange sparkles began to surround Hazuki's hand before transforming into a new weapon. The weapon's handle and the middle of its shaft were made by a thin, red bar that lined the middle of the weapon. The center bar was framed by two similar and more ornate bars, one green and one blue, that lined its sides and curve to create the sides of the weapon's guard. Two yellow stars decorated the bottom of the guard and a third was set at the base of the blade. Two small, white fairy wings sprouted from the sides of the third star, forming a crossguard. A large, yellow, eight-pointed star with a ring around its tips was connected to the end of the main blade. The teeth were formed by three five-pointed stars (one red, one blue, and one green) flying off from this large star. As Hazuki studied the weapon, the words _Fairy Stars_ ran through her mind.

"Welcome to the club, Hazuki-chan," Yuki giggled, gesturing to Doremi's Lady Luck as Nick showed Moon Bridge. Doremi had also handed Hazuki a Cosmic Tap.

"Wait, we're getting our powers back?" Hazuki wondered.

"We're gonna need them if we want to stand a chance," Doremi answered.

"Not that you stood one anyway."

Nick groaned in frustration, whipping out Moon Bridge to face his opponent...

...but saw no one there.

"Okay, who's the wise guy?" Nick wondered, only for a wave of darkness to strike him in the chest and send him flying back out onto the street.

Once Nick was able to get his bearings, he found himself looking up at a mysterious figure clad in strange black armor.

What Nick found strange was that he couldn't sense a magical aura, or any aura at all, coming from this figure, yet he could see human features, namely a female face, behind the armor.

_What the hell is __**this**__?!_ Nick thought.

"I figured you would be here," the figure proclaimed.

"Listen, lady knight, I'm in no mood for any cryptic nonsense," Nick growled. "So you'd better plead your case before I shove you off and cut you in half!"

The figure just scoffed. "Do you honestly think I have anything to say to you after what you've done to me?" she proclaimed.

"Um, what, pray tell, are you _talking about?!_" Nick shouted. "I literally have no clue what you're saying!"

"Don't lie to my face!" the girl exclaimed. "I don't have to listen to your crap! You pushed me away, you cut me off when I needed you the most, and now you have the gall to _lie to me_?!"

The girl materialized a rather demonic-looking blade, aiming it precisely for Nick's chest.

"Horrible people like you have no right to exist in this world!" the girl shouted. "NOW DIE!"

Time seemed to run in slow motion as the girl attacked.

_To be continued..._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

On the next episode...

Nick: Well, this is quite the pickle we're in, huh?

Yuki: I have no idea who this weirdo is, but no way is she hurting Nick-kun while _I'm_ still breathing!

?: After what you did, do you really believe I'll let you walk away?!

Momoko: Hey, Elise-chan, get back here! This is way too dangerous!

Elise: You get away from my papa this instant!

Nick: Wait, what did she just call me?

Hazuki: I think she's really taken a liking to you.

Nick: Next time on _Ojamajo Doremi Chronicles: Message of the Shooting Star_, "A Corner of Memories"!

Elise: Welcome to this wild maze of life!


End file.
